WASHINGTON—President Donald J. Trump issued today an
Executive Order addressing the U.S. refugee admissions program and migration to
the United States, generally. The executive order virtually shuts down the
refugee admissions program for 120 days, reduces the number of refugees to be
admitted to the United States this year from 110,000 to 50,000 individuals, and
indefinitely suspends the resettlement of Syrian refugees. In addition, it
prioritizes religious minorities suffering from religious persecution, thereby
deprioritizing all other persons fleeing persecution; calls for a temporary bar
on admission to the United States from a number of countries of particular
concern (all Muslim majority); and imposes a yet-to-be determined new vetting
process for all persons seeking entry to the United States.

Regarding the Executive Order’s halt and reduction of
admissions, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, chairman of the Committee on
Migration, stated:

“We strongly disagree with the
Executive Order’s halting refugee admissions. We believe that now more than
ever, welcoming newcomers and refugees is an act of love and hope. We will
continue to engage the new administration, as we have all administrations for
the duration of the current refugee program, now almost forty years. We will
work vigorously to ensure that refugees are humanely welcomed in collaboration
with Catholic Charities without sacrificing our security or our core values as
Americans, and to ensure that families may be reunified with their loved
ones.”

Regarding the Executive Order’s ban on Syrian refugees, the
prioritization of religious minorities suffering from religious persecution,
Bishop Vásquez added:

“The United States has long provided
leadership in resettling refugees. We believe in assisting all those who are
vulnerable and fleeing persecution, regardless of their religion. This
includes Christians, as well as Yazidis and Shia Muslims from Syria, Rohingyas
from Burma, and other religious minorities. However, we need to protect all our
brothers and sisters of all faiths, including Muslims, who have lost family,
home, and country. They are children of God and are entitled to be treated with
human dignity. We believe that by helping to resettle the most vulnerable, we
are living out our Christian faith as Jesus has challenged us to do.”

Moving forward after the announcement, Bishop Vásquez
concluded:

“Today, more than 65 million
people around the world are forcibly displaced from their homes. Given this
extraordinary level of suffering, the U.S. Catholic Bishops will redouble their
support for, and efforts to protect, all who flee persecution and violence, as
just one part of the perennial and global work of the Church in this area of
concern.”

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Keywords: USCCB, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,
Committee on Migration, Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, executive order, refugees,
resettlement, Syrian, religious minorities, religious persecution, Muslim,
Christians, Yazidis, Shia Muslims, Syria, Rohingyas, Burma

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Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops